Apple Watch 7 Vs. Garmin Fenix 7: The Best Smartwatch For Sports & Fitness

For people looking for a new smartwatch, the Apple Watch 7 and the Garmin Fenix 7 are two of the best options. Both come with a plethora of features and functionality, and are great devices in their own right. However, they’re very different and cater to different requirements, so it’s worth putting them under the microscope to see which one has the tools to better serve hardcore fitness enthusiasts.

The Apple Watch Series 7 was announced last September to much criticism from observers for not bringing any revolutionary new features that many users had been clamoring for. However, it remains Apple’s best smartwatch to date and one of the best devices in the segment. The Garmin Fenix 7, launched earlier this year and comes with a number of notable features, including solar charging (select models) and a battery that’s rated to last up to 18 days.

In terms of health monitoring and fitness tracking, both watches come with the usual options, including heart-rate trackers, SpO2 sensors to measure blood oxygen levels, and the mandatory sleep tracking features. However, the Fenix 7 also adds a thermometer that can measure the wearer’s body temperature during workouts. Both also ship with GPS sensors, but the Fenix 7 offers many additional features, such as automatic climb detection, suggested training sessions, estimated race finish times, and a real-time stamina meter, among other tools for hardcore sports users. At the same time, it lacks the critical ECG sensor that’s one of the highlight features of the Apple Watch.

Watch 7 And Fenix 7 Compared: Features & Price

The Apple Watch 7 comes with many advantages over the Fenix 7, including third-party app support, thanks to Apple’s existing eco-system of apps and services. This makes it the much better option for the vast majority of users. However, the Fenix 7 trumps the Apple Watch with a more comprehensive suite of sports monitoring and fitness tracking options. That includes a seven-day training regimen monitoring system that enables users to keep a tab on their daily training load to prevent athletes from overexerting themselves. The Fenix 7 also offers dedicated features for golfers, including details about thousands of courses, shot detection, scorecards, a vector map, and more.

Both the Apple Watch 7 and the Garmin Fenix 7 come in a number of configurations and sizes. The Fenix 7 is available in eight different configurations, including three different sizes (42mm, 47mm, and 51mm), three different build materials (stainless steel, titanium, and DLC titanium) with three different screen protection technologies (Corning Gorilla Glass, Sapphire Solar Glass, and Power Glass). They also come in a variety of colorways that improve their appeal among a diverse userbase. The Apple Watch, meanwhile, comes in just two sizes (41mm and 45mm), three case materials (aluminum, stainless steel and titanium), and a wide array of straps, including metal, silicone, and woven fiber.

Pricing is another major difference between the two. While the Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 and can increase to more than $1,000 depending on the case and band material chosen, the Fenix 7 starts at $699 for the entry-level model and goes up to $999 for the top-end offering. All things considered, The Garmin Fenix 7 and the Apple Watch 7 are wholly different devices targeted at different buyers. The Fenix 7 is meant for hardcore fitness enthusiasts, professional athletes, and endurance trainers. Despite its price tag, it is the company’s most advanced multi-sports watch to date, and is clearly the better option for serious athletes and fitness users. The Apple Watch 7, on the other hand, is more suited for mainstream users, and its relatively more affordable price-tag makes it an easy smartwatch recommendation for general purposes.

Source: Apple, Garmin